Stowable seats in motor vehicles have long been a desired feature in motor vehicles where the seats in the second and third row may fold down to form a flat cargo floor in order to easily receive and maneuver large pieces of cargo.
Recent developments have provided stowable seats that are stowed under the cargo area and covered by a flat panel system to provide the flat cargo floor. The flat panel system is also used as a floor surface for passengers' feet when the seats are deployed to their upright seating position. The flat panel system is made from a plurality of panels pivotably connected together to move between a flat closed position and a folded up open position. The cargo space under the panel system is usable as cargo storage space for other items when the seats are deployed in the upright seating position. A flat panel system can also be referred to as a stow-to-floor seat assembly door.
One needs to open the panels to access the cargo space. Hence, the area above the panels must be free from obstruction, for example free from interference of another seat or center consul to allow room for the pivoting panels to freely operate in their intended fashion. In previous systems, either the entire motor vehicle needed to be extended to provide the necessary clearance for the panels or certain seats needed to be moved to a certain position to allow the panels to freely move between open and closed positions.
Cargo space access needs to be convenient in order for the consumer to use the space in its intended fashion. Thus any interference or obstacle introduced by a movable seat or a seat track will limit the use of the cargo area. It is desirable to access the cargo area independent of any fore and aft adjustment of seats. Previous cargo panel systems were freely operational only if the front seats were in a forward position.
What is needed is an improved panel system that can be adaptable to be substantially opened independent of any position of an adjacent seat for ease of access to the under panel cargo space. What is also needed is a cargo panel that has a hinge that can be either in a locked or release position. What is also needed is a lockable hinge in which the lock mechanism is substantially concealed under the panels.